Green Corps organizers Melisa Stodiek and Emily Southard speak with Bill Clinton about the need for a clean energy future at his wife’s campaign event in Nevada.

Today, the environment is a household issue: global warming is in the news every day, students across the country are rallying to green their campuses, and celebrities are taking stances on environmental issues. Thanks to your support, Green Corps is training young organizers to translate this public concern for the environment into action. I am proud to report on a few of the recent campaign achievements of our current organizers and alumni.

Last winter, Green Corps organizers took to the campaign trail, challenging the presidential candidates to promote clean energy for America. The campaign was designed to mobilize public support for clean energy, and to put the candidates on record about how each would meet the future energy needs of the country.

Green Corps organizer Melisa Stodiek.

Working on behalf of Environment America, Green Corps organizers leveraged people power, rallying citizens in Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, South Carolina, New Hampshire and California to encourage every presidential candidate to support clean energy. Green Corps organizers generated more than 650 phone calls to candidate campaign offices; citizens called in and asked candidates to take a pledge to support clean energy. Green Corps organizers led campaign volunteers, who attended dozens of campaign events and presidential debates where they got the candidates on record about the need to shift away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy and move toward clean and renewable sources such as wind and solar power.

Local and state newspapers followed the campaign, resulting in articles that helped to convince the candidates to come out for clean energy.

By the end of the state primaries and caucuses, Green Corps organizers secured clean energy pledges from the five leading Democratic candidates. The accomplishments of the trainees on the campaign trail helped to elevate the issue of clean energy in the presidential race, which will help ensure that the next leader takes the country on the right path to a new energy future.

Green Corps organizer Emily Stone.

Over the past several years, energy companies have proposed to build as many as 150 new coal-fired power plants across the United States. Working with Sierra Club, a team of Green Corps organizers is fighting against these new plants, which would create global warming pollution and endanger the health of nearby communities. Green Corps organizers helped to launch a national campaign to put grassroots pressure on Houston-based coal giant Dynegy, which is planning to develop nine new coal plants.

Green Corps organizers across the country mobilized members of local Sierra Club chapters, identified new volunteers and helped train community members who continue to lead the campaign in their cities and towns. To launch the national campaign, Green Corps organizers conducted a call-in day that generated more than 2,000 phone calls to Dynegy CEO Bruce Williamson.

As a result of the grassroots pressure they produced, the student newspaper at Rice University in Dynegy’s hometown ran a story on the campaign. The response from the company was immediate. Dynegy called Sierra Club and asked that they not conduct call-in days or generate additional media concerning the new plants.

Green Corps Organizer Emily Stone, fifth from left, and student volunteers from Rice University protested against Houston-based Dynegy’s plans for new coal-fired power plants.

“Working on a campaign that targets a polluter like Dynegy was, for me, very rewarding,” said Green Corps Organizer Emily Stone. “It comes back to principles of fundamental fairness and accountability. As consumers and residents, we want clean energy, not more dirty coal-burning power plants that create tons of global warming pollution. I love that the voices of everyday people, when they’re organized together, sends a strong message that could win this campaign.”